


So I stayed in the darkness with you

by izzeDeer



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Dialogue, Domestic nonsense, M/M, Other, Polyamory, Queer Platonic Partners, Snippets, gay shit, i dont know how to write fanfic, no one's dead and everything's fine, shippy nonsense, this is mostly dialogue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-11-26 22:40:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18186581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzeDeer/pseuds/izzeDeer
Summary: I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a mapAnd knew that somehow I could find my way backThen I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness tooSo I stayed in the darkness with you(cosmic love by florence + the machine)------I'm not really a fanfiction author by any means, but my friend harpydora (here and on twitter!) encouraged me to try, and so I did.these aren't really anything but short interactions and dialogue, because I like writing bits and pieces. Feel free to take what I've written and expand and expound on it! I'd love to see what anyone writes if they do this <333





	1. Flat "No"s are the funniest kind

**Author's Note:**

> yeah anyway I have no idea how ao3 works so I'm just bullshitting my way through this at 4 am before I go to bed, ENJOY MOST OF THIS IS CASS/AUDY BUT SOME OF IT IS CUTE OTHER INTERACTIONS AND I'LL PROBABLY ADD MORE AS I GO.
> 
> I'll update it every so often with new 'chapters' being uuuh, a new bundle of snippets and bits because these are WAY TOO SHORT to just post as their own chapters, these aren't even drabbles they're just bits. Like the end of a piece of string. and it makes no sense to post those as individual chapters. So each chapter will just be like a bunch of these all together (separated with page breaks because I'm not a monster)  
> All of these are same universe, MY UNIVERSE for this stuff I guess? again, feel free to take this shit and just GO WITH IT if it inspires you!  
> (credit me please though!!)
> 
> ANYWAY ENJOY I LOVE YOU

"You don't have to hover."  
A beat, silence from AuDy, an exasperated sigh from Cass.  
"I'm fine. This happens, you know that."  
"Yes. It does happen."  
"Then why are you hovering?"  
"Because it did not have to."  
Cass gives AuDy a look, their brow furrowed. They'd been shot, it happened on jobs. It wasn't even really a wound, just a graze.  
"Okay, sure, I could've been a little more careful. I get it. Point driven home, AuDy."  
"That is not my point."  
Another beat, then Cass gets it, and drops the argument into comforted silence.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

COUNTER/Weight is cold, outside the domes. Especially in the stations for the Starlight Straight, waiting for a MagLev to take them home.  
"Cass."  
"Mm..?"  
"You are cold. This is a fact."  
"Yeah, it's a cold day."  
"You need to be warm. This is also a fact."  
"... yes AuDy, thank you for pointing out the obvious."  
"You will lean on me."  
"I-what? No? What will that accomplish?"  
Cass doesn't have a chance to argue much more before AuDy has pulled them close to their chassis, and Cass feels how absolutely warm their team mate is. It's difficult to argue now, as they relax against warm, humming metal.  
"Are you sufficiently warming?"  
"Mmhm..."  
"That is good."  
==  
After that first, sort of awkward time of letting Cass warm themselves, it becomes a habit. AuDy is very warm, and Cass is always cold.  
"AuDy what... what is Cass doing...?"  
"They are thermo regulating."  
"Does it require them to be sprawled on top of you?" Aria is amused  
"No."  
"Adorable."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Aria, I require assistance."  
"Sure AuDy, what's up?"  
"I need you to pick out jewelry."  
"Oh, is it for you?"  
"No."  
"Who is it for then?"  
"That is not your business. You will come with me now."  
==  
"Did you ask for my help because I have the best taste in jewelry?"  
"No."  
"Oh."  
"But you are a better choice than Mako."  
==  
AuDy had given up on Aria for help. She had good taste but her taste was not correct, not for what they needed.  
"Thank you Aria, you have not been helpful."  
==  
So they asked Cass.  
"So did that help? Can I go now?"  
"Yes, no. Please hold out your hands."  
"Oh... kay."  
And then deposits the newly purchased jewelry.  
"Wha... AuDy."  
"It is for you. You will accept."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"AuDy AuDy AuDy AuDy AuDy-"  
"Stop bouncing my chair, please."  
"Okay okay, okay, but, AuDy, AuDy, I had. An Idea."  
No prompting from AuDy to continue, but of course Mako does anyway.  
"So hear me out on this okay? What if I maybe found a way to trick the ship out with something that would make it. Really cool. Like the most cool, super cool."  
"If it is flames painted on the side, no."  
"What, pshh, nooo, why would it- why would it be that? Haha. Come on please it'd look so cool."  
"No, Mako."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Mako, do the dishes."  
"Nnnoooooo"  
"I will keelhaul you, do the fucking dishes"  
"Fiiiiiiiine"

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Whatcha doin?"  
Orth had no idea Mako could be so quiet. Or maybe Orth had just been too absorbed in what he was doing. But he was startled either way, pencil scritching an errant mark on his paper.  
"Oh shit, sorry, didn't mean to make you fuck up!"  
"It's-it's fine Mako. What do you want?"  
"I'm bored and wanted to see if you were doing anything interesting, so, whatcha doin?"  
"I'm. Drawing?"  
"Whatcha drawing?"  
"Nothing in particular."  
"It looks like something in particular."  
An exasperated sigh from Orth.  
"It's just something I do. I draw star charts."  
"Oooh what star system, is it this one? Can I see? What else can you draw?"  
"It's. The Golden Branch sector."  
"Oh. That's boring, we know that. Have you drawn any other places?"  
"Mako."  
"I draw sometimes but it's mostly comics and scribbles and stuff, like I draw myself doing rad stuff, and sometimes I draw Larry doing it too-" And he rambled on, with Orth just tiredly saying his name.  
"Mako, Mako. Ma-Mako, Mako for the love of god if I give you some paper and a pencil will you stop?"  
"Maybe!"

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Cass."  
No response.  
"Cass."  
They are ignoring you.  
"You are ignoring me."  
You do not like it.  
"Cass, respond."  
"What, AuDy."  
"You are not nocturnal."  
"My people aren't diurnal either. We're awake when we're awake and I'm awake right now."  
Incorrect information and insufficient data.  
"You have not slept in two days. You are not nocturnal."  
"It's fine AuDy. I'm fine."  
"That is an Aria 'fine'. You will go to bed."  
"I need to finish these diagnostics first."  
"You will go to bed now."  
Cass is not heavy. They do not fight you much. Good. You take them to bed without incident.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Caaaaasssssss I'm bored will you teach me how to stitch my own wounds?"  
"What-no? You're not trained to do that."  
"Well that's why I'm asking you, so I can be trained to do that! And so I don't have to bother you when I get hurt doing something stupid!"  
"Did you do something stupid and need stitches."  
"No."  
"Mako."  
"Okay maybe"

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"AaaaaaAaaAAAaaaa"  
"Mako I swear to god if you don't stop rocking back and forth and screaming I am going to sit on you!"  
"But I want steeeeaaaaaaaaaaak"  
"Me too but we're on a mission!"  
"But the restaurant is right theeeeeeere Aaaaaariaaaaaaa"  
"Oh my god- we can't leave this spot Mako!"  
"What if I run over there, order a steak, and then run back, no one would miss me!"  
"I would miss you! I can't do this job by myself."  
"Okay so you go get the steak."  
".... You have to pay for it."  
"Aw man no I'm broke!"

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

Face timing with Aria was dangerous. His face was an open book and she looked like that meme cat with the knife from like, a billion years ago.  
"THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY ARIA"  
"Uh huuuuh, they are."  
"No you don't get it they're really fucking pretty"  
The face somehow got MORE like the knife cat meme! How did she do that with her face? Secret Joy Park tech probably.  
"So what about Cass is pretty~?"  
"Uuugh why are you even asking, you know what about them is pretty, they have really pretty and soft hair, they have pretty scales, they have pretty eyes and a pretty smile and why are you looking at me like that"  
"You have a cruuuuu~uuuush"  
"Shut uuuuup"  
But Aria was not going to shut up, this was too too good apparently.  
"You should tell them"  
"No! Even I know thats a bad idea, Cass has AuDy, why would they even consider me?"  
"I mean, they already let you sleep in the same bed with them"  
"Thats because I like being squished!!"  
"Sure, uh huh."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"WHO GAVE MAKO CAFFEINE"  
Cass' voice carried through the very small galley, echoing down the hall. Mako, the caffeinated creature in question, was junebugging between six different tasks, and accomplishing nothing.  
Aria, the guilty party, was hidden behind AuDy, hoping to escape the wrath of Parent-1. But Parent-2 wanted none of it, picking her up and setting her down in front of Cass before walking off.  
"Aria I put a ban on caffeine for a reason!"  
"It was just some tea! I didn't think he'd get crazy!"  
"He has an attention disorder!"  
Mako, in the background of this discussion, had stopped junebugging, concentrating on the Mesh briefly before his focus was broken and he began junebugging again. Another task on his unfocused pile.  
"Just, fuck, get him to sit down and watch youtube. Maybe he'll zone out for three hours and calm down."

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

"Hey Aria"  
"Whats up Mako?"  
"What's it like to have boobs?"  
"Wha-excuse me?"  
"Not in a weird creepy way! I just sometimes wonder what it'd be like to have boobs! Like, how do you deal with the weight of them, and how do you hold your arms?"  
"Uuh I've never really thought about it, honestly..."  
"Man I wish I could have like, interchangeable parts. Like, if I could just, have boobs sometimes. That'd be cool I think."  
"That would be kinda cool. Sometimes I don't want to have mine. They're annoying."  
"Give them to me then, I'll wear them."


	2. Mako sure is a character huh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Mako has bad ideas. Only sometimes! And sometimes he tells CERTAIN PEOPLE secrets they shouldn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just some more snibbets, only two this time but they're a little long and sort of connected.  
> I GUESS ALSO I SHIP AUDY/CASS/MAKO NOW THANKS DORA FOR TELLING ME THAT WAS A THING  
> being on my bullshit is making nonbinary polycules yall.
> 
> Thanks harpydora for being a good soundboard for like half of this and encouraging me to write gay nonsense, as well as giving me like half my headcanons for Cass and AuDy and letting me yell about Mako being an ADHD mood.

Aria and Cass were eating a quick lunch, a break from the long day of repairing mechs and running diagnostics and tests, when Mako, like the tiny whirlwind he was, ran in and slammed a sheaf of papers on their table.  
Aria started and Cass just gave him a Look.  
"I drew you guys some stuff!! Well, Aria already knew I was gonna do this, but then I decided to make one for you Cass so I could draw us together and Orth said I've been getting better SO I did this today-"  
As Mako spoke, words going faster than either other Chime member could keep track of, the papers were spread out on the table.  
"Mako" Cass' confused tone interrupted his words. "What are these?"  
"Us! I drew us!"  
"Why is Aria a cat....? And why am I... A... a lizard...?"  
"You're actually one of those weird water lizards from that one planet thats like, you know, all water and beaches and stuff!"  
"Okay... Why....?" And they looked over at Aria for help, but got nothing. She was too busy internally having a crisis, her expression slowly morphing into horror.  
"Cause I wanted to make you a fursona!"  
"A what"  
"Mako, no, don't-"

 

\------------------------------------

 

"Alright, so, what animal is everyone in the Chime?" Aria kicked her feet from her perch on her mech, looking down at Mako.  
"Well, you're a cat, I'm a cool shark, I made Cass a lizard but I might change it? It felt like they were a scalie at first, cause you know, fish person! But it feels. Wrong? At the same time! And I don't get it! I need to do more weird animal research, maybe I can... oh god no wait Aria kill me I just thought about asking Ibex for help."  
She snorted and hopped down from the Regency.  
"I mean, he knows a lot about weird animals? Even if he's a jerk, it might be worth it."  
"Uuuugh, I'll think about it."  
"Okay okay, tell me what you thought up for Jacqui, because I was thinking a moon tiger? They're so big and cool and definitely her."  
"Oh yeah! Yeah! I was thinking a big cat! That's perfect, I'm gonna draw her next."  
"Remind me to commission you when we get paid again.  
"Yes, absolutely, I will draw so much if you pay me."  
"I'm gonna commission you to draw everyone as furries, just because. You've already embarrassed me in front of Cass with this, so no point in giving in to the cringe now."  
"Oh, oh that reminds me, Orth's definitely a mutt dog. What breed of dog? Who knows! Like, those dogs you see in the domes on COUNTER/Weight, right? The scruffy ones that know all the secrets of the back streets but are really sweet!"  
"Oh that's so perfect, you're good at this!"  
"Haha, yeah, I am. I'm the best at fursona assignments."  
"Okay, challenge time then."  
"Hit me."  
"AuDy."  
A beat.  
"Oh fuck you Aria!"  
Her laughter could be heard all the way in the galley.

 

\------------------------------------

 

"AuDy, what's your favourite animal?"  
The Automated Dynamics 'bot didn't answer at first, making Mako fidgety. He hated it when AuDy didn't answer.  
"The animals that I liked are extinct."  
"That's okay! Just anything, any animal."  
"I do not have a favourite."  
"Uuuuugh you're impossible."  
But there was no way Mako was going to give up on this. He'd bet Aria free art he could do this.

 

\------------------------------------

 

"I FIGURED IT OUT!"  
AuDy wasn't startled when Mako slammed a paper in front of them in the cockpit. But they were annoyed.  
"Mako. Remove the paper."  
"Noooooo, look at it, I drew you!"  
Once Mako's hand had moved, AuDy retrieved the paper, holding it up so their cameras could focus better on it.  
"This is not me. This is an animal robot."  
"No no no, see the vest and the shades and the one antennae? It's you as an animal robot! I made you a fursona!"  
"Fursona." AuDy knew what that was.  
Unfortunately.  
"Yeah! I've made one for everyone! Except Aria, she already had one. She has like six of them actually."  
"What is it?"  
"Aria's fursonas?"  
"No."  
"Oh this one! It's this like, extinct deer thing? It's called a chital! It felt so perfect for you! Well, no, perfect is wrong. It's close but not perfect for you. But I couldn't find any better animal. So this was close enough to perfect!"  
Mako hadn't noticed the way AuDy's chassis seized up briefly, but he did notice when AuDy hit a few buttons on the console of the ship, then stood and left. With his drawing.  
"Wait-hey, wait, are you taking my drawing?"  
"Yes."

 

\------------------------------------

 

"Aria you now owe meeeeeeeeee a pound of candy."  
"Aw man."  
"Don't worry, I'm still gonna draw all of us together."  
"Good~!"

 

\------------------------------------

 

"Cass"  
"AuDy"  
"I have learned A Secret"  
The emphasis on the last two words had Cass look up from their work, a brow raised.  
"Is it a secret I can know?"  
"No."  
"Are you going to tell me anyway?"  
"Perhaps. I was asked not to."  
"Okay... I'm just gonna assume the secret isn't bad, or else you would have told me."  
"The secret is not bad. It is just a secret."  
"Who told you?"  
"Aria. The secret is not hers."  
Cass just squinted at AuDy. Cryptic asshole, but they loved them.  
"Ookay... Why are you telling me she told you a secret...?"  
"The secret involves you."  
"AuDy as much as the cryptic shit is cute, I'd rather not play 20 questions to find this out. Who's secret is it?"  
A beat.  
Then another.  
Then AuDy's chassis tilts in a way that Cass knows means they're irritated.  
"It is Mako's"  
And then AuDy turned, and left without another word.

 

\------------------------------------

 

So Cass went to Mako, who was in the common room, drawing more of what Cass was beginning to just assume to always be weird furry nonsense.  
Cass cleared their throat, freaking Mako out, who threw the papers he had been drawing on into a notebook.  
"I WASNT DOING ANYTHING ITS FINE WHAT"  
"Hey, woah, you're not in trouble? Yet at least."  
"Yet?? I didn't do anything today."  
"Well, apparently you have a secret that involves me. I just want to know if its some information or something."  
"A secret, what, haha, noo, no I don't. I don't have a secret! I just told Aria something personal it's nothing."  
The brow raised, arms are crossed. Mako's face began to turn red.  
So he grabbed his shit and ducked around Cass, escaping the common room, and dodging Cass before they could catch him.

 

\------------------------------------

 

Now Cass had to go ask Aria, unaware that they were being watched anytime they passed the cockpit door.  
Fortunately for Cass, when it came to something like this, Aria could not keep a secret.  
"Mako's got a crush on you!"  
"That's the secret???? What the fuck!"  
Cass now understood AuDy's cagey behavior, waving away the minor hurt that bubbled up in their chest that wondered, why hadn't AuDy just talked to them about this?  
They knew why.  
It was fine.  
(It was not fine.)

 

\------------------------------------

 

It took a few days for Cass to come to the realization. They hadn't particularly been thinking about it, not in the same way they had thought about how they felt about AuDy.  
But, it hit them, like a MagLev, when they saw Mako scurry out of the galley to avoid running into them and having to talk, that maybe.  
Maybe they liked Mako?  
They needed to talk to AuDy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no real overarching storyline with my snibbets as a whole, but I liked the way these two particular snibbet subjects connected and decided hey! AuDy/Cass/Mako is cute. Let's play with that.  
> Also robots are bad at emotions, it is law.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed thank you for reading!!!


	3. What is this poly nonsense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako has to figure out how feelings and being honest with himself work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of this is a continuation of some previous snibbets and then a snibbet thats going to be more of a drabble or a ficlet that I got prompted to write by harpydora  
> I also have to add another tag to the top because I live in shipping hell now.

There was no way he could go talk to them. Not yet. No way. Not with how they kept looking at him when he passed by, or when he ducked into another room.  
Yeah, Mako was avoiding Cass, but that was fine, it was fine! He didn't want to talk about this, and Cass hadn't really tried to talk to him about it yet. So that meant the problem didn't exist.  
But he didn't have anyone to talk to.  
He was mad at Aria for spilling the secret, how could he trust her to not tell Cass anything else he said?  
His head spiralled, as he did his best to stay busy. Mako worked in the mesh, made little projects, fucked around with some physical mechanical things to see if he could make them work better.  
But the distractions weren't enough to keep the voice out of his head, the one that said he wasn't good enough for any of the people here.  
It was fine.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Mako was usually pretty good at getting his feet back under himself if something caught him off guard.  
He'd made up enough bullshit stories, charmed his way through enough rough situations (he should call Jorn maybe? nah.) that anything was a breeze now. His anxiety couldn't control him.  
Until AuDy, in the middle of Mako talking, leaned in VERY close, and pressed two of their fingers to his lips.  
"What, trying to shut me up?"  
"Yes."  
"Most people have better luck doing that with a kiss."  
"That was a kiss."  
Which struck Mako speechless, as he had said a kiss would.  
And then AuDy turned.  
And left.  
...  
What the fuck???

 

\--------------------------------------

 

"Okay, can't talk to Aria, she'll definitely snitch. Jacqui is too scary..."  
Pacing back and forth in his quarters, Mako was considering his options, out loud.  
To Larry.  
"You could talk to Cass!"  
"Noooo because then I have to talk to Cass about the other thing and I don't want to do that. I want to pretend Aria never told them anything."  
"That sounds like avoiding the problem."  
"It sounds like that because that's what it is. If I avoid it long enough it might go away."  
"The September Institute didn't go away, and we avoided that for a long long long time."  
"Yeah, well, its destroyed now. So. That's whatever."  
"What about... Orth! You could talk to Orth!"  
"Holy shit Larry you're a genius."  
"I know~!"

 

\--------------------------------------

 

"Ooooooooooooorth Orth Orth Orth my man, my dude, my guy, Orth, Orth, hey, hey Orth, Orth-"  
"Mako."  
"Cool so you aren't busy right? Cause I need some help."  
"I'm not paying for something for you."  
"No no no, not this time, no, I need like, advice."  
"Oh, oh, I can help with that?"  
"Good, cool."  
Mako plopped himself into the chair across from Orth at the table.  
"So AuDy kissed me and I don't know what to do about that??"  
The look that orth shot Mako had him leaning back and feeling nervous. Why did he look like that? What had he said? He knew that this was weird because AuDy only was... affectionate? Was that the right word? Well anyway AuDy was only affectionate with Cass.  
"Why in the world would-no, nevermind, you won't have the answer to that."  
"No, I don't! That's why I need advice! What do I do?"  
"Uuh... talk to AuDy?"  
"AuDy's been avoiding meeeeee."  
A small lie, he'd been avoiding AuDy.  
"I don't... really know what I can tell you then Mako? This sort of stuff, I think, really requires uh, communication. You have to talk to people."  
"I can't just, have it be okay already?"  
"N...no Mako. That's not how life works."  
"Terrible, I hate that."  
"We all do but you gotta live with it kid."

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Okay, okay. Talk to AuDy.  
No.  
Nope.  
Pivot, go the other way, no NOPE NOT WORTH IT.  
Locked in his little weird closet, Mako had his palms pressed against his eyes. He wasn't sure if the weird noise was him or the ship but it was probably him.  
There was no way he could just go talk to someone and be.  
Honest like this.  
He wasn't worth it, not really. Why did he think he could be here, and people would think he was cool?  
He just kept messing up and doing things wrong.

Mako didn't leave that closet for a few hours.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

It turned into a big production, to everyone on the outside. Mako would only do missions with Aria, he'd completely avoid Cass and AuDy, locking himself in his quarters or in a closet or just disappearing for hours at a time. If he had to interact with either of them, he'd try and escape as soon as possible.  
It was going so well!  
Until Aria betrayed him.  
And trapped him.  
In a room.  
With AuDy AND Cass.  
"Aria I am going to destroy one of your Second Life avatars!"  
"I changed my password GOOD LUCK"  
Click.  
Dammit.  
"You have been avoiding us."  
"No, I've just been really really busy, you know? it happens! Been trying to code a uh, a game and stuff, to try and make extra creds on the side!"  
"Mako."  
"I'm serious, I've just been really busy!"  
"Okay, you've been busy. But now we can sit and talk about. Things."  
The gesture Cass did showed they weren't entirely sure what to do either, besides talk. Which meant Aria had coerced all of them into this room.  
Cool. Okay.  
He could totally get out of this and pretend nothing happened still.  
"What's there to talk about? Everything's been fine."  
"This isn't... Mako this isn't an intervention. We should talk about what Aria told me."  
"I am fine not talking."  
Cass elbowed AuDy.  
"You kissed HIM AuDy, you definitely need to talk to him about that."  
"If Mako does not want to, then there is nothing to discuss."  
No one could miss the tone of Audy's voice. Which made Mako feel worse.  
"We're going to still try and talk to him."  
"Okay. Mako. Why have you been avoiding us?"  
"Because this, this exact situation. I didn't want to-to-to something, I don't know! I didn't want to put my stuff on anyone else, and I mean, it's not like it would go anywhere, I know that! We could have ignored this and it would have been fine, I would get over it, it would have been fine!"  
He was getting worked up, he needed to calm down.  
But once he started, it was hard to stop.  
"Then AuDy just, kissed me! While I was trying to just get over it! And made things more weird and twisted up and harder to deal with!"  
He didn't like how Cass was looking at him. He couldn't tell if they were mad or not.  
"So I just avoided you both and it was fine! It was fine! Sure I couldn't fucking talk to Aria because I don't trust her right now, or talk to either of you, but that's whatever, I was alone before!"  
Did his voice just crack?   
"I know what I'm worth, I get it. I'm replaceable! It's not hard to find another dumb ass who's good at hacking into things and making jokes and-"  
Mako's words were cut off by strong arms pulling him into an almost bone crushing hug, Cass' voice saying something Mako couldn't quite pick up over his brain suddenly realizing he was crying. He grabbed onto Cass like they were a lifeline, words having dissolved into ugly sobs.  
"... fine... it's not fine Mako, we care about you. Where did you get the idea that we don't...?"  
Cass' words finally pushed through, but Mako couldn't answer.  
"Mako is a clone."  
"... That would do it huh? Fucking September Institute..."  
Mako felt Cass' hands grasp his shoulders to shift him back so that they could look at him directly. He avoided eye contact as best as he could.  
"There's so much to unpack with this Mako, but lets start with the easy stuff. We do care about you, you are irreplaceable to this crew, to all of us, to me."  
Words words words, noise, meaningless. Make squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head.  
"No, don't you dare fucking tell me no. We do care about you. I've been so worried about you since you started avoiding me, I thought something had gone wrong and you wouldn't even speak to me about it."  
"Your health has declined, Mako. You have not been eating."  
"Yeah, that too! You've been avoiding meal time!"  
"... Wasn't hungry..."   
"Bullshit you eat like a horse."  
"Cass you do not know what a horse is."  
"It's a saying AuDy."  
"I am aware."  
"Apote save me from you."  
As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop the smile that cracked through the tears and gross face.  
"The other easy thing is that you've been avoiding me so much, I had a lot of time to think. About how I feel about you."  
Oh no.  
The smile vanished and Mako felt his heart beat faster. No. This would be bad. There was no way. He didn't want this.  
"His heart rate has elevated."  
"Then I won't mince words. Mako, you're a dumbass and I like you."  
What?  
"AuDy might too. They haven't decided yet and are being difficult."  
Mako just. Blinked at them both, too dumbstruck to respond.

 

\--------------------------------------

 

"Aria I destroyed your Cabbit avatar on Second Life."  
"What! How did you get into my account??"  
"Jacqui's 'birthday' " Mako did air quotes "isn't a good password!"  
"Dammit that thing too me hours to get right!"  
"Payback for locking me in a room AND ALSO TELLING SECRETS!"  
"It worked out fine!"

**Author's Note:**

> I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS GOT SUPER MAKO HEAVY AT THE END THERE BUT LISTEN HE'S BIG ADHD MOOD
> 
> thanks for reading!! I'm sorry if this is a weird format, I'm just not good at long form writing yet and want to share my ideas with people.


End file.
